The ski problem for me as I get older is not physical or mental, but that my two sons have started their careers and are no longer available at my beck and call to go on a ski trip. My wife is not a skier and, for years, happily came along with the boys. Let us be forthright, there are only so many spa days and waiting at après ski that a non-skiing spouse can enjoy before cabin fever sets in. My friends have a myriad of issues that prevent them from being reliable ski mates; physical health, school age children that do not ski, unyielding spouses that are not as understanding as my lovely wife, and for a few, the sudden realization after their first ski trip that they are not skiers.
In 2017, at the ripe young age of 56, I decided that despite the lack of a ski buddy, time dictated that I venture out on a solo ski trip. I live in Corpus Christi, Texas and, therefore, my typical ski trip is a weeklong adventure. The year before, I was stymied by the lack of anyone able or willing to go north. To my dismay, I gave in to this quandary and did not go skiing. That decision haunted me all year. Like Monty Python, I always look on the bright side of life. By doing so, I realized that solo afforded me the opportunity to expand my itinerary to experience ski resorts I had yet to visit, along with a couple of regulars. While many loath the drive from South Texas to Colorado, I have come to embrace the trek with visions of powder in my mind. I am not a curmudgeon that refuses to fly, as I have taken to the air for Sun Valley, Park City, Breckenridge, and Crested Butte, but I am willing to drive the northern New Mexico and southern Colorado resorts.
Purgatory and Telluride had been on my wish list for some time. Off to the map to configure a route that maximized skiing, while not getting too crazy on drive times. Crazy is as crazy does and is relative to the size of the State from which you hail. I realize most folks think Texans are crazy for their willingness to drive eight plus hours in a day, but remember, for many Texans eight hours does not get you out of the State. My line up; Wolf Creek (one day of skiing), followed by Purgatory (one day), Telluride (one day), and Crested Butte (three days). Crested Butte is my go-to resort, I usually purchased a CB Card (now an Epic Local Pass), and I have skied there more than any other resort. American Airlines has a Corpus Christi-Dallas/Ft. Worth-Gunnison route that is convenient and Crested Butte is within my acceptable driving mileage as long as I have an entire week. Wolf Creek is a favorite as long as I am with hardcore, lift open to lift close skiers. By hardcore I do not reference skill, but rather the mentality that I only get to come once per year and I am going to squeeze every minute on the mountain out of each day. I went once to Wolf Creek with a group that included some novice skiers. They retreated awfully early to the lodge wondering when we were going to drive back down the mountain to Pagosa Springs. When the lifts close, of course.
My itinerary was not set in stone. I became fascinated with the snow buoy in 2016. Without stealing Mike’s thunder, it is a weather buoy off the coast of Hawaii that Mike uses to track snowfall in Utah, which usually arrives two weeks after Mike tracks a “pop” in wave height. He can be found on Facebook at The Buoy or online at www.powderbuoy.com. I decided to track the buoy and Mike’s posting to see how it correlated to snowfall in Crested Butte. Mike’s system worked for Crested Butte with snowfall coming ten days to two weeks following a “pop.” I used the Buoy to help steer clear of travel issues and to maximize my chance of powder, although I have some constraints due to work and available time for this vacation. While my pre-trip itinerary has set travel days and set days for skiing at each resort, I am flexible to amend the plan if skiing conditions dictate, or if I feel Purgatory or Telluride need more exploring.
I planned on leaving Corpus Christi at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday with the goal of spending the night in Santa Fe, New Mexico. A planned thirteen hours of drive time, but maybe longer if intrigued by a detour or roadside attraction. Travelling through South Texas with skis and a snowboard affixed to the roof of the Pathfinder ensures a few double takes from folks more attuned to seeing surfboards on roof racks. On February 6th and 7th, the Snow Buoy popped to fourteen feet, and I was monitoring the weather forecast. My original plan was to circumnavigate Wolf Creek, Purgatory, Telluride, and Crested Butte. I left open the option to reverse that order once I arrived in Santa Fe, as the forecast called for good snowfall on Sunday and Monday. I would rather be in Crested Butte and ski the hill I know during powder days, plus that limits my travel during snowfall.
The best laid plans can sometimes hit a snag right from the get-go. My Pathfinder was subject to a transmission recall and I took it in three weeks before the start of my trip. Murphy and his silly law popped its ugly head up and the dealership had trouble finding the replacement transmission for a four-wheel drive. The transmission came in three days before I was to leave, and the dealership finalized the installation of the transmission by noon of the Saturday I planned for departure. My trip was delayed by a few hours, but I was happy to have the four-wheel drive versus the two-wheel drive rental from the dealership. I unpacked the two-wheel drive loaner and packed my four-wheel drive right in the service bay of the dealership.
This delay meant I did not make it to Santa Fe, but rather Roswell. I got up early the next morning and headed for Wolf Creek, with a forecast of snowfall on Sunday at Wolf Creek. Along the way I stopped to try and photograph antelope, too skittish, and did photograph a winsome windmill in a barren field. I arrived at Wolf Creek that morning with the promised snow from the snow buoy. I kept to my original itinerary with Crested Butte last as the forecast called for snowfall on Wednesday and Thursday in Crested Butte. Upon arriving at Wolf Creek, I set out on my first priority, finding someone at the resort that I could use as my safety buddy. I went to the ticket office and explained that I would be skiing alone and was looking for someone that would still be working at 4:00 p.m. that I could report to and let them know I was off the mountain. Sunshine Blue answered my request and became my new best friend, at least for that day. She agreed to be my safety buddy and took my contact information. The plan if I did not check in was for Sunshine to contact ski patrol. I came with a pre-printed contact information sheet with my name, phone number, license plate number and spouses name with phone number. I also informed Sunshine that I was wearing a BCA Tracker 2 avalanche beacon. Not that I planned on skiing off trail, but I figured if I did go down with injury and was unable to get off the mountain, the beacon would narrow the search and lessen the chance that ski patrol would ski past me without seeing me. Wolf Creek has some fantastic glade skiing and so there was a chance that if I did go down, it could be among the trees. I had a fantastic day of skiing, spending much of the day in the glades. I checked in with Sunshine around 4:00 p.m. I cannot thank her enough for agreeing to help me out as I was able to ski with the peace of mind that somebody was looking out for me. I also devised a check-in schedule with my wife and provided her with the contact information of each resort, but with her one thousand miles away, I knew any alarm she sounded would involve some delay.
I drove off the mountain and headed for a hotel in Durango to get some rest for Monday and my first visit to Purgatory. Part of the adventure to this trip was that I did not make all my hotel reservations far in advance, but usually with only one days notice so that I would stay flexible about where I skied. I chose the Residence Inn in Durango as I am a Marriott frequent stayer and was able to get a room on points. After the complimentary breakfast, I headed north to Purgatory. I pulled into the parking lot at Purgatory and struck up a conversation with one of the parking lot attendants. Finding that he would still be on the clock at 4:00 pm, I asked him to be the person I checked in with at the end of the day. I figured that if my car was still in the parking lot after the lifts closed, that would be a telltale sign to my parking lot buddy that something had gone wrong. He agreed to work with me and I gave him my contact information, which included a description of my car and my license plate number.
A common question I heard about a solo trip, “Aren’t you going to get bored with no one to have a conversation?” Think about conversations while you are skiing, they are either on the lift riding up, or in the bar for lunch or après ski. I had all those conversations, just with total strangers. There is something about loading on a lift as a single that brings out the chattiness of the others on the lift. Everything from where you are from, to why are you skiing solo, to what is your favorite run, to what is a good restaurant. At Purgatory, I stopped for lunch and a beer at Powderhouse. The day was a bluebird day that was a tad on the warm side. I brought my food and beer to the outdoor patio and plopped down at a picnic table. A young lady skiing with her niece asked permission to join me and eating alone was not an issue as I enjoyed their company and conversation. I learned all about the little girl’s dog Sarge and that skiing with her aunt was preferable to going to school. Who can argue with slope side education? An older couple from Canada joined us at the table midway through my meal and the conversation was enjoyable enough for me to get a second beer. I very much enjoyed the runs at Purgatory, but the warm weather was causing the snow to get a little slushy late in the afternoon. I decided to end the day a little early, but unfortunately not early enough. On my last run, I got a little sideways in a mogul run and ended up tweaking my calf. To be honest, I tweaked the calf back in Corpus Christi while working out, but thought I had healed up before my ski trip. The mogul taught me otherwise. By 3:30, I hobbled to my car in the parking lot and checked out with my attendant buddy. Safe off the mountain, but a little sore. I got on Google and made a reservation at Camel’s Garden Hotel in Telluride.
The drive from Purgatory to Telluride was gorgeous and I found myself stopping often to get my cameras out. The drive on highways 62 and 145 were breathtaking. I rolled into Telluride as the sun was setting and checked into my room. I ventured down to Oak, the hotels restaurant and bar. When travelling solo, eating at the bar ensures you have someone with whom to have a conversation. Alcohol generally loosens up most folks enough to gab with a complete stranger, and bartenders are always willing to chat if they are smart, considering they work mostly for tips. Sure, I am buying conversation, but I have found bartenders have the best stories, especially in ski towns.
The next morning, I awoke to the mother of all cramps in my calf. I made the tough call to forego skiing that morning. Instead, I spent the morning stretching, soaking in the hot tub, and applying Asper crème to my calf. I decided to forgo Telluride and head to Crested Butte as the snow buoy and the weather forecast were predicting snow overnight. That afternoon, I drove from Telluride to Crested Butte, with many stops to enjoy some photography. The Gunnison River made for a great photography opportunity. I made reservations at the Grand Lodge at Crested Butte and spent a little extra time with the front desk clerk explaining my solo trip. With their help, I figured out their schedule for the next three days and who would be on duty at 4:00 p.m. Grand Lodge also utilizes a ski valet to keep skis out of the elevators and the units. I also explained my solo skiing with the ski valets and utilized them as a secondary buddy system. I utilized the hot tub again that evening to loosen up my calf. The first night in Crested Butte reinforced my respect for the Snow Buoy as I awoke to three inches of fresh powder. I headed downstairs and checked in with the front desk and the ski valet. My decision to skip Telluride paid off as the day of hot tub, stretching, and pain cream had relieved my calf problems.
I took my lunch break at the Avalanche, a base area bar and restaurant that is one of my favorites. I ate at the bar and met a gentleman from Albuquerque that was also on a solo ski trip. After relating the resorts I traveled and skied to date, he decided to detour his return trip home and hit Purgatory. Unlike me, he had no buddy system and just skied. He did admit that he limited his skiing so as not to be at risk of going down alone with no one to see. While that is an option, I preferred the peace of mind that I could hit any run I wanted with the knowledge that somebody would alert ski patrol if I did not show up at the end of the day. I also struck up a conversation with Robin, the bartender, as I knew I was likely to eat at Avalanche again.
At 4:00 I started my last run at the top of Paradise Bowl and worked my way down to the base area. I strolled into the lobby of the Grand Lodge to be greeted by my buddy ski valet and my buddy front desk clerk. After checking in with the ski buddies, I headed for my normal ski après, hot tub with beers. The Grand Lodge has a great, large communal hot tub on the ground floor. By the time I got there a few folks had settled in with drinks in hand. I have learned that unlike a bar, hot tub communication needs to be a little relaxed and not too eager. If you are eager, or too slow to engage, folks start to get the weird vibe. I spent thirty minutes with a group of young uns from Chicago. When they found out the old guy was on a solo tour, I gained their respect and the conversation flowed. I excused myself to get ready to catch the shuttle down into town to hit The Wooden Nickel. Great food, but more importantly, a great bar with plenty of seating to enhance conversation. The snow Buoy hit the mark and the gods presented powder two of the three days I skied Crested Butte. I utilized my desk buddy and valet buddy each day and luckily never had to rely on my avalanche beacon.
My experience in 2017 was so gratifying that in 2019 I executed a hybrid trip. One of my sons was able to get away for three days, as was a buddy and his son. They all flew into Crested Butte, but I drove. Why you ask? I had an Epic Pass and saw an opportunity to add resorts I had not skied to my trip and, instead of renting a vehicle, I preferred my own four-wheel Pathfinder. I met them at the airport in Gunnison and we spent the next three days skiing Crested Butte. The morning they flew out, I headed north to ski Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, and Keystone. I chose to stay at the Frisco Lodge Bed and Breakfast. I booked my room on the drive up from Crested Butte and was pleasantly surprised. I had picked the Frisco Lodge as it was central to the three resorts I planned to visit. The evening happy hour and morning breakfast were most enjoyable. It seems that the Frisco Lodge has a loyal following as most of the groups and couples I met at happy hour and breakfast made this their ski base, so much so that they were well known to the owners and staff. The main room of the lodge has a very large table that lent itself to a communal setting. This made it very ease to engage others with conversation. Again, I utilized the front desk as my ski buddy check in. I skied Beaver Creek the first day.
The snow buoy for this trip showed a pop that predicted snow late in the week. I was not able to be as flexible with my skiing as I was fixed in on Crested Butte for certain days due to my travel companions. The last three days, I had flexibility and decided on Beaver Creek, followed by Breckenridge, followed by Keystone. My plan for Keystone was to ski all day and then hit the road after the lifts closed. I would make it as far south as I felt it safe to drive without falling asleep behind the wheel. My plan was flawed, but more about that later. I enjoyed skiing Beaver Creek but will say it is the resort where I was the least engaged with other skiers. Partly due to my unfamiliarity with the area, and mostly because I just did not come across as many skiers willing to chat up a complete stranger. Not until I made my way to the Bachelor Gulch side of the mountain did I find anyone willing to talk about the area and resort. The gentleman was a local and did not live far from the resort and was a wealth of knowledge about the area. My decision to stay in Frisco, a short drive from all three resorts, meant I was not able to dive in to the après ski, as I was solo with no designated driver. I did return to Frisco Lodge in time for afternoon wine and hors d’oeuvres, which was most enjoyable. On the advice of the owner, I located a nice steak house, but it did not have a bar at which to dine, so I had to settle for a table on my own.
The next day I skied Breckenridge, which I must confess was not a new resort as I had skied it twice before. This was a Thursday and the Denver crowds had not yet hit the area. Being familiar with the area gave me license to hit Park Ave. Pub after the day was done. Good bar food and usually a friendly crowd. The bartenders are always willing to banter, depending on the crowd. Again, I had to forego the après ski part of the Pub due to my drive back to Frisco, but dinner was enjoyable with my new friends at the bar.
So, still wondering about the flawed plan? Staying at lodging away from the resort, and using the front desk as my ski buddy, meant that I had to give my ski buddy a later check in time in the evening; therefore, had I been involved in a ski incident that left me on the mountain, it would be late before ski patrol would be alerted. Neither Beaver Creek, nor Breckenridge parking lends itself to a ski buddy. At Beaver Creek I parked in a parking garage utilized by skiers, lodgers, and shoppers. Breckenridge’s lots created the same problem. Unlike Purgatory where it would be obvious that skier’s car was still in the lot, Beaver Creek and Breckenridge lots do not empty out after the lifts close. I was able to check in with my wife and let her know I was off the mountain, which meant she could alert ski patrol before my local ski buddy.
The truly flawed part of my plan occurred Thursday and Friday. The snow buoy prediction hit that night and boy did it hit. Eight inches overnight and still coming down as I ate breakfast with my fellow Frisco Lodgers. We checked the weather forecast and the radar to find that the snow was going to continue all day long. My quandary was that I was checking out that morning and supposed to hit the road after lifts closed. I had to choose between skiing Keystone and hoping to either be able to drive out or find someplace to stay another night as Frisco Lodge was booked for a Friday night. I chose to forgo Keystone and head south. The driving was at a snail’s pace all morning and it took into the afternoon to get to Denver and clear roads. The storm followed me out of Denver, through Oklahoma and the panhandle of Texas. I stayed ahead of the storm and did not experience the road closures in Oklahoma and Texas that occurred on Saturday. The flaw in my thinking was to plan to drive out on a Friday evening after skiing. I should have booked a room for Friday night from the get-go. Had I done so I would have skied Keystone, a new resort for me, and I would have skied Keystone with great powder.
My conclusion about solo skiing is to grab my skis and go no matter. Utilize an avalanche beacon for safety, come up with some sort of buddy system, and most importantly, build flexibility into your trip. Not only during the ski days, but upon departure as well so you do not miss the powder. Try to stay at the resort you are skiing. I enjoy my solo trips when I can hit the après ski of choice. Après ski is a natural source of entertainment. The beauty of solo skiing is the ability to be selfish and ski the runs and resorts you want to ski. To take time to pull over and take photographs without any complaints from travelling companions. To stop on the top of the mountain and take photographs for as long as you want. To not look at your watch and wonder what time you were supposed to meet the gang at the warming hut. Not having someone to ski with should not be your excuse for bypassing a ski day.